Making Books

Today is World Book Day! One of the highlights of the school calendar for teachers and students alike. Its magic is two-fold, because we all get to indulge in dressing up (I have been The Queen of Hearts, Winnie the Witch and Professor McGonagall to name but a few). We also get to share our favourite books from home and enjoy book related activities all day long.

Writing is always more enjoyable when it
has a purpose, so what better purpose than creating your own book to share with
friends and family? One of my students’ favourite activities on World Book Day was
making a book of their own. This was always inspired by the writing of other’s,
for example, a new adventure for Winnie the Witch or creating a new character
in the world of Harry Potter. It culminated in the children sharing their own
newly created books at the end of the day. Because the children knew this would
happen, they took extra care with their presentation and writing, as well as
planning an excellent story or new chapter.

Of course there is a long history of children creating
their own stories and books, the most famous being the Brontës. Their fantastical stories of the lands of Angria and
Gondal were written in miniscule handwriting in tiny handmade books.

Book making really
gives children ownership of their work. They are author, editor (parents can be
sub-editors if required), illustrator and of course, publisher. Many children even
like to put a barcode and price on the back of their books. This is also a
great space for a blurb. Summarising the plot without giving away the ending is
a great skill to develop.

The books don’t
have to be complicated to make. The simplest is a piece of folded card, with
the required number of pages folded and either glued or stabled into place. For
very young children, a great place to start making their own books, is writing
about themselves. Writing about their family, pets and favourite food and
places really engages them.

For many years I treasured my first handmade book, “All about Me.” I
made it at the age of four, with help from my teacher, lots of yellow wool hair
and two blue buttons for eyes. Today, of course, you can use the computer to
produce equally thrilling results and multiple copies for grandparents, for
example.

Homemade books can
come in many different materials and open and close in a variety of ways. Susan
Kapuscinski Gaylord, is an American teacher who is passionate about bookmaking
for children. Her varied and interesting projects can be found on the link
below:

Homemade books can
come in all shapes and sizes and be about anything!
For children who prefer reading and writing non-fiction, these can fit very
well with a favourite topic. In the
past, we’ve made books shaped like Viking boats, cats, Tudor houses and trains.
The link below shows one example of how to create a book shaped like a house.

Pop-up books are
great fun to make too. Because they are not much more than a card, they are not
daunting for younger children. The writing needs to happen before the pop-up is
made, so can work as an incentive. Parents may to help with some of the more
intricate designs on the link below.

So whatever your
child’s interests, there is a book in them just waiting to be written. For lots
more advice and ideas on helping your children to create their own books, see
the link below.